Untitled
by samisweet
Summary: Usagi finds herself on Chikyuu after escaping her kidnappers. Without her senshi and the aid of the ginzuishou, can she survive and mature? More importantly, how will the Z warriors take to her? DBZSM, Usagi/?.
1. Chapter 1

Hiiiii everyone! I can't believe I'm putting out another story after so long. FFN has become something of a comfort for me -I come back to it during times of stress or depression and seeing as I'm entering my senior year of college soon (can't believe it!), I'm becoming more than a little freaked out. So I've gotten back into reading fanfiction, but mostly DBZ, and the thirty or so fanfictions I've read in the past two weeks have inspired me to crank something out :)

This will be, as always, a Usagi-focused piece. My writing has changed quite a bit since the last time I updated -I don't know if I should call it 'mature' or 'better', just 'different'. Regardless, I may or may not jump back to my previous fics and try and update them, but let's keep our fingers crossed for now, ne? I hope you enjoy! I have about three chapters' worth written out right now so don't think that this is all you'll be getting from me lol!

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><p><em>Beep… Beep. .. Beep… Beepbeep… Beebeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep!<em>

Usagi squinted at the screen of her computer as the beeping got more and more annoying. The small blue contraption was projecting a hologram of a map, sharp ridges and abrupt dips an accurate display of her environment. A yellow spot blinked feverishly right before her. She chanced a look down the valley and gulped uncomfortably. The drop was steep and faded into darkness, empty and quiet. She squinted harder, looking back at the map Mercury's computer displayed. Leaning further into the chasm allowed her to see something glimmering against the cliff-face, catching the fading rays of the sun and throwing them back. She grinned. That was exactly what she was looking for; just to make sure, she closed her eyes and did a quick energy reading of her surroundings. Sure enough, she felt the warm glow of her goal below.

Usagi grunted and swung herself over the cliff, her arms grabbing onto loose rocks and the scraggly plants that had dared to plant themselves on the cliff face. She climbed down quickly and efficiently; clearly, she had done this many a time. A small ledge allowed her a brief respite. She calculated the distance to the glimmer below. Maybe another twenty feet. She opened her canteen and took two quick sips of water; she had to allocate the right amount because water was hard to come by in this area. With a sigh, she began her climb once again. The object of interest to her lay in a bed of thin grass on a short ledge, rooted strongly to the rocks. She smiled to herself as her fingertips touched the golden-yellow orb, two small stars dotting the surface. It flared briefly to life, engulfing her in a glow, as if welcoming home its master.

"Yes!" she cheered as she placed the small orb into her knapsack. The cliff was cast further into darkness all of a sudden and she looked up. The sun was setting; a few reddish rays of sun highlighted the tip of the precipice. She bit her lip. Darkness would be hard, if not impossible, to navigate through, especially on something as tricky as a cliff, and she could barely see her hands in front of her. But she didn't want to be stuck on a ledge with barely enough room for her toes for the rest of the night. A sigh escaped her lips. There was only one option left; she had been keeping on the down low since coming to Chikyuu, but she highly doubted something as simple as light would set off warning bells to the planet's inhabitants. She closed her eyes and her forehead burned as a cool light washed over the rocks, glowing with a golden up-turned crescent. Her lips pursed grimly, she scrabbled up the cliff as quickly as she could; this part went much quicker than her descent and she silently thanked whoever was watching over her for it. She pulled herself over the edge with one final heave and collapsed on the ground, arms flung wide, face turned toward the stars. This planet had no moon and she missed it dearly. Any moon would be enough for her to feel less lonely, less like a stranger.

"Senshi," she breathed, closing her eyes as the faces of her nearest and dearest friends came to her mind's eye. They would undoubtedly be looking high and low for her but she was light-years away from their solar system. They would never find her here and she would never return without the right technology. No, she hadn't realized how far behind Earth was in terms of universal technology. They were a blissfully unaware planet, tucked away in an unnoticeable corner of the galaxy. Suddenly, she felt like crying. She wasn't meant to be on her own. She thrived around people who loved her, who cared for her. Here, she had none of that. She was a survivor in every sense of the word. She felt hopelessly alone, unable to connect with the people on this planet. After all, who would be able to understand her? She was a princess of her solar system; sole bearer of the Silver Crystal, a powerful existence yearned for by nearly everyone in the universe; she had protected her planet like no other, suffering pain and torture and death so many times that she had lost track. And her duties would soon expand from her galaxy to that of the universe.

The stars here were unfamiliar and did little to comfort her. She wiped away her tears and sat up. Crying wouldn't get her back home. It certainly wouldn't get her friends to her. Away from the moon, her Silver Crystal didn't work and she still hadn't figured out how to turn it back on, let alone use it. So that left her to her wits alone. She wasn't very smart but survival was etched in her bones. She was one of the last Sailor Senshi in the universe. And her job was to protect it. Survival was intrinsic to her being, as she had found after she was kidnapped. She would definitely make it.

**Break**

The city bustled with people of all kinds. Humans here were as humans anywhere, with a few key differences. Some of them resembled animals, and she took them to be aliens or perhaps halfbreeds of some sort. And some of them were incredibly off-the-charts powerful. More powerful than her in her current state, even special powers, though she figured her senshi could match them pretty well. But she trusted herself to be able to handle them in any case. Here, on Chikyuu, they had hover cars and capsulated _anything. _It was rather incredible, really –the technology rivaled that of Mercury's during the Silver Alliance. Usagi pulled her cap down over her head as low as she could go, hoping her golden strands didn't stand out too much –a shocker, really, given that bright red and purple and green were considered normal here.

Money wasn't easy to come by, either. She earned most of it doing odd jobs that would provide her with enough cash to last a day or two. Dishwashing here, cleaning cars there, scrimping in every way possible. She didn't feel ashamed about her dirty clothes or the fact that her hair didn't shine as brightly as it used to –all of it attested to her strength and her willingness to survive. So it was with a grim smile that she entered the grocery store, heading straight for the clearance items. She found cans of tomato and vegetable soup and a few heavy packages of meat about to expire alongside some boxes of pasta and tomato sauce. There was even an entire chocolate cake for a few coins. Enough food to get her through the week. She smiled. It would amount only to a few bills and she would have enough to spend on some new clothes. The cashier gave her a disgusted look but she ignored it, handing over the money proudly. She would feast this week.

It was rather hot outside, with the summer sun beating down mercilessly. Her cotton training pants and tee did little to ward off the heat and she missed her cute sundresses and school uniform from her home. There would be ice cream and milkshakes and long walks with her friends, exploring every inch of the city. She smiled a little to herself. Chikyuu wasn't bad. It was enough like Earth that Usagi figured it was an alternate universe rather than a different part of the galaxy. A group of little kids laughed loudly as they chased one another down the street, their parents worriedly yelling after them. A city was a city was a city, regardless of where you went. The same parents would care for the same children. Society would exist with strange traditions and taboos. And time would go on as generations rebirthed and cycled and fell into soil. The circle of life, indeed.

Back at her 'home', comprised merely of sturdy Capsule Corps metal that created a large enough tent to have a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, she pushed her groceries into her mini-fridge and cabinets and set out to cook the meat on the single gas burner. Her house was situated as the edge of a forest, a few dozen feet away from a stream that swelled during the rainy season. She bought what food she could and foraged and hunted for the rest. Fish were plentiful, as were fruits and greens, and she was sometimes lucky enough to take down a bird or wild boar. It was a simple life and she didn't mind it much, although the loneliness became unbearable sometimes. As it were, her home was on the fringes of society, at a place that anyone rarely ever came across.

So it came as a great surprise when she felt two strong auras nearing her home as she cooked her slab of meat. She thought quickly and turned off the stove, running outside to apprehend the intruders. Her eyes widened at the site before her. Large craters dotted the once-green fields. The intruders were giving off so much raw _power_ –it rolled off of them in waves and spikes and they manipulated their energy into densely packed attacks, much like those of her and her senshi. From the looks of it, one was a bulky man, perhaps in his late 20s or early 30's and the other was a young girl, perhaps at her mid-teen years. And the girl was getting _beaten_. The man hounded down on her with no mercy and the girl struggled to ward off the powerful blows. Usagi bit her lip. She didn't want to immerse herself in their battle but her heart just wouldn't let her. With a resolute sigh, she entered her home again, only to look back. The girl was lying on the ground, her breathing shallow, as the man loomed over her. She cursed her inability to leave people alone.

"Hey! Hey you!" Usagi called out. She ran towards them. "Stop picking on her and find someone your own size!" The man looked at her in surprise, his figure tense. Usagi shoved him back; it took far more strength than usual, but he did stumble and fall on his butt. She placed herself between the poor young girl and her attacker, her body on edge and in a fighting position; she knew that any fight she started here and now would likely end in failure. The man grinned, easy-going, his hands up in surrender. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion, her gaze scraping over the girl's body while looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. The young girl was pretty and delicate, with straight black hair, though her beauty was currently marred with bruises and bumps of various sizes. She could barely breathe and Usagi could feel her life-force draining quickly. "Who are you?" she snapped harshly at the man. The girl needed emergency care. Usagi bent down to feel her pulse. It was becoming faint.

"I can help her," the man said quickly, rising. "We were just sparring. Let me, or she might die."

"Not on my watch," Usagi snarled. "Stay right where you are."

"You don't understand –" the man stepped toward her, and in her fright, Usagi let her power surge. She could feel that her eyes glowed with warning and she suppressed it quickly. The man backtracked, his eyes wide in awe. Usagi ignored him, knowing that that kind of power was nothing to be astonished about –they emitted energy signatures far, far above her own. She pressed her hands into the girl's chest, a maneuver so familiar to her that it brought a wave of aching homesickness through her body. She pushed it aside and chi flowed from her fingertips, engulfing the young girl as skin and bone and flesh melded together. The girl was fully healed. Usagi stood and faced the man again.

"What is your business with her?" Usagi sorely wished she could become Sailor Moon here –the skimpy outfit hid her better than anything else and gave her the confidence she usually lacked.

"Uhh, hi!" the man replied cheerfully, as if he hadn't just beat up a girl and left her to die. "I'm Goku! Nice to meet you." He laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. Usagi tensed, her body ready to pounce at the slightest movement. The girl below her began to stir and moaned. "You see, that's my grand-daughter! We were just sparring…" Usagi shot him a look that clearly said she didn't believe him.

"Are you ok?" her voice was soft and gentle when she spoke to the girl. The girl blinked her eyes as she came to consciousness.

"What the…." She bolted upright. "I feel great!" She sprang up and did jumping jacks. "Amazing! Did you give me _two_ beans, Gramps?" Goku laughed at that and said no. Usagi felt fear grip her as she came to realize her miscalculation. This was bad. This was terrible. She wanted to bury her head in the sand. Damn it. Months of hiding and it came to an end because of some fucking _spar_ –she refused to believe it.

"You're joking right? You beat your grand-daughter to a pulp for some stupid _spar_?" Usagi began to hyperventilate. She bit her lip harder, drawing blood this time.

"Who's this?" the girl asked curiously. She peered at Usagi, her eyes as dark as her pretty hair. "I'm Pan!" the girl stuck her hand out. Usagi took it hesitantly shaken.

"Usagi."

"Bunny? I love bunnies!" Pan grinned. "This is Goku. He's my grandpa!" Usagi nodded, feeling a little lightheaded.

Goku gave her a comforting smile, as if he realized her fear. "It's nice meeting you, Usagi. Where are you from?" She recognized his gentle interrogation –he knew she wasn't from around here. After all, who could heal injuries like that? She racked her brains for an adequate answer.

"Oh!" she giggled nervously. "I live right there." She pointed at her tent. Goku followed her finger and nodded. "I'm new around here. Would you like to come in for some tea and cookies?" She nearly hit herself. Why wouldn't her blabbering mouth just shut it?

Goku grinned and Usagi faintly wondered if she had made a mistake. "Food? Sure! I'd love some, I'm starving!" Usagi couldn't help but grin at that. Few others could match her ravenous appetite. They were good guys, that was for sure, so what harm could come from a little company? It had been so long since she had shared a meal with someone else, days that had faded into months. The slabs of meat were large enough to feed a family of ten, but Usagi would have finished it in maybe three days, if she rationed herself. Her guests were more important though. She could forego her food for _any_ sort of company. She invited them into her sparse home, where a small table and two chairs sat pushed against one corner and a sofa facing a tiny flickering TV took up the other side. The kitchen took the third wall and a tiny hallway led to a small room with just a cot and a dresser. She felt no shame in presenting them her home, something she had earned through her own sweat for the first time in her life. She was surviving, thriving even.

"Since you guys are so hungry, I'll just serve dinner. I have some meat on the stove as well as soup. I'll put some rice on, too! Here, sit wherever you like." She beamed happily at them. Pan and Goku both smiled and settled into her comfy couch. She bustled about the kitchen, preparing what little food Makoto had taught her to make. The meat had seared perfectly, charred on the outside and medium-rare within, blanketed with savory spices and smothered with a can of cream of mushroom soup she had tweaked with seasoning and onions. Pan and Goku watched TV silently, clearly exhausted, as she put dinner on the table. She stepped back and smiled. Even two years ago, she would not have been able to do this much. She had realized the depth of her dependency when she first came here, but the lessons her senshi taught her weren't futile. They stuck with her and small memories would pop up, pockets of advice, whenever she faced an obstacle.

"Goku, Pan, dinner's served!" Usagi ushered them to the table, setting down a citrus punch she had made from the fruit she collected a few days before. "I know it's not much, and I'm sorry I can't offer more, but I hope you enjoy it!" Goku's eyes widened at the mountains of meat and rice. She had figured that they probably ate a tremendous amount, given the sheer power of their energy signature.

"It looks delicious! Thank you for your generosity!" Pan clapped her hands as she settled down into the table. Goku hadn't even bothered to say anything, merely dug in with a gusto that outdid hers by _a lot_. She stared wide-eyed for a moment as the food simply disappeared, then laughed, sitting in the third chair she pulled from her room. Pan ate immense amounts as well, but was no match for Usagi's appetite. They barely talked, merely scarfed down the cliff of food until it was reduced to crumbs. Usagi couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She felt so _happy_ to have people sit and eat with her, all manners and customs pushed aside, just enjoying company. Her eyes pricked with tears. She didn't even know the first thing about them, just their names and that they were powerful and related, but the companionship was so unexpected and felt so right. She had boxed herself away in self-preservation, but perhaps that wasn't the right thing to do. After all, she was the type of person who thrived on attention, on people –she was a Princess.

"I'm glad you liked it!" Usagi beamed at them.

"It was good," Goku said with a kind smile. He leaned back in his chair, completely relaxing, but Usagi could see strength curling through his lax muscles, that he was always weary and watchful despite his happy nature. Battle-scarred. That's what Goku was. How like her and her senshi, and yet, so different. She wondered if he had died before, like she did on a regular basis. She wondered if like her, he had used every ounce of his energy, every last breath, in keeping his world safe. His demeanor changed and he became a little more serious, straightening in his chair. "So, Usagi, tell us your story. What are you doing on Chikyuu?"

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><p>Well, this is more of a prologue-ish thing. The way that I've written it (I have 30 pages now) makes it ridiculously long but I'm inspired for now, so there'll be plenty more to come. Each chapter is about 5 to 6 pages for me (I try to keep the lengths consistent). The start is a little weak, and I apologize for that.<p>

I know people get excited about pairings the most, but this one will be slow to develop and I'm not sure how much I want to involve romance. Knowing me, it's more than likely this will end up romance or relationship focused ^^; The love interest, however, can be just about anyone -the usual Trunks or Goten, and even the married men of DBZ lol. I'll have to see just how this progresses... I want it to focus more on Usagi's development into a regal queen. Her age is somewhere around 20 or 21 here, just a heads up since I haven't mentioned it at all anywhere in my story as of yet.

Tell me what you think! Reviews and opinions are always welcome and concrit is always appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, this section seems dead! In the three years I've been gone, I guess Sailor Moon lost its popularity. I feel a bit nostalgic and sad, but I guess that's life. We've all grown up and moved on. I was reading through some of my older stuff earlier today and I had to cringe. At least I've improved! I must say, though, I really miss the kind of safety net that this place used to provide. It was pretty amazing. So many people helping you along and supporting you and giving suggestions as to how to improve your writing -that's tough to find in real life. I started writing when I was 13 and I'm going to turn 21 in a month and a half, meaning I've been a part of this site for seven or eight years now!

This story is a little slow to start, but I promise it'll get better from here on out! Enjoy :)

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><p>"So, Usagi, tell us your story. What are you doing on Chikyuu?"<p>

Usagi blanched. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Pan giggled. "Your ki is nothing like anyone's on earth! I don't know how you hid it for so long, but you're an alien!" Usagi knit her brow together in thought. So they could sense energy signatures like she could –\that was normal for any true warrior. But to be able to tell if they were of the same planet meant that their sensing was more refined. Unconsciously, Usagi doubled the repression of her chi. "You don't have to hide from us. It's obvious you're not here to kill anyone."

Usagi offered a small smile. "I'm just trying to get home."

"How'd you get here?" Goku asked lightheartedly. She turned away from them, memories washing upon her mind in gentle ebbs, memories that no longer tortured her in her waking hours but consumed her in her sleep.

Her voice was soft when she gathered the strength to speak. "I'm not sure. I was kidnapped from Earth a while back –a different Earth than this one." No one said anything. Pan and Goku waited impatiently for her to continue her story, both leaning toward her in sparked interest. She laughed lightly at their expressions but Goku urged her on. "I'm from a different solar system, one light-years away. It took months to get here from what I could make of it. My solar system is relatively untouched, on the fringes of universal existence. We don't really get bothered by aliens too bad since most people don't know of its existence. Lately, though, aliens have been showing up pretty often since Earth is the only habitable planet." A lie, really. The other planets had once been habitable, long before her rebirth.

"It sounds a little like Chikyuu." Pan observed thoughtfully.

Usagi nodded. "It's a lot like this planet, except your technology is a lot more advanced and the flora and fauna are pretty different. I mean, you have fish and meat just like us, but you also have dinosaurs."

"Who kidnapped you? Why?" Goku narrow his eyes and Usagi could feel a righteous air coming about him. She could tell he was something like her –a protector of his planet. But something was off about him nonetheless and she wouldn't call him human, exactly. She wasn't sure how to explain her existence to him or why they had been after her, or more accurately, the Silver Crystal.

"I'm not sure who, exactly, they were or why they took me. But I managed to escape when they made a pit stop at a different planet, using one of their escape pods. I was able to program it to take me to the nearest habitable planet, and somehow, two weeks later, I ended up here." She hadn't _really_ programmed it, just hit as many buttons as she could in desperation and pray to the higher beings that she landed somewhere relatively safe. After landing on Chikyuu, it had taken her two weeks at the home of some unknown Good Samaritan to regain enough health to be able to move around, and another week to gain full function of her body. From there, she thanked the old man, shoved the small amount of money she had into his hands, healed him of his ailments, and went on her way. Miles and miles of wandering brought her to this city and this was where she spent the rest of her time.

Goku nodded, processing the information. "How are you getting back?"

Usagi looked down at her empty plate with a sigh. She wasn't about to tell him about the magical Dragon Balls that existed on this planet; she needed them herself. "I'm not sure yet." Which wasn't a complete lie –she had no concrete plan after the collection of all the golden orbs.

"Come back with us!" Pan said loudly. Her eyes glittered with excitement. "It will be so much fun! You can stay with me; I know mom and dad will say yes. You can meet Bra and Marron, they're my best friends! Oh and then there's my uncle Goten and Trunks too. You can meet Mr. and Mrs. Briefs and Grandma and Mr. Krillen and there are so many others." Pan looked at her with so much hope in her eyes that Usagi giggled and looked away.

"I'm already a stranger on this planet. I don't want to be a burden, too." But more than that, she wanted to, _needed_ to prove to herself that she could make it on her own. Despite the hardships and torture and pain, this was her last real "adventure" before she had to tie herself down to Earth and become its queen. Mamoru was waiting back home, his sizzling passion reduced to a lukewarm companionship. She realized that he just wasn't in love with her anymore, just that he loved her and stayed with her out of comfort. They had grown far apart over the last year. He wanted her to remain pure and innocent and she needed to grow up and face the music. She shook her head free of the thoughts of Mamoru. "I have the ropes down. I've been living here for almost a year."

"How'd you go so long without getting caught? I mean, your ki is pretty unique. I don't think I've ever felt anything like it."

"Different? How so?"

"It's more… I don't know. White. Or pure maybe."

Usagi laughed a little. "That's why I'm an alien. I can hide it pretty well. But…" She bit her lip, a little afraid because she wasn't sure whether they were interrogating her out of curiosity or suspicion. "I'm not evil, I promise. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just want to go home, that's it." If any alien, regardless of who it was, landed on Earth, the senshi would be on them like bees on honey to protect the planet. She understood the sentimentality; one can only handle so many attacks and remain open-minded.

"What? We're not suspicious!" Goku laughed loudly and scratched the back of his neck. "Don't worry, we'd know if you were a threat. I just feel kinda bad, ya know? It's tough landing on a planet where you know no one. You did pretty well so far." Pan grabbed a hold of Usagi's hand and nodded at her in support. Usagi nearly burst out crying.

"Thanks! You don't know how much that means to me." Her voice cracked at the end and she cleared her throat. "I was so scared that people here would wanna kill me when they found out I wasn't from here. It –it's been so lonely. I've never been on my own before but this is just so… so _confusing_." At that, Usagi couldn't hold back herself and sniffled, crystalline tears dripping down skin that had once been fair. She cried as Goku gently rubbed her back and Pan strengthened her grip on her hand. Her heart constricted and she turned into Goku, her face pressed against his abs, loud sobs shaking her body, reminiscent of her teenage years. Goku looked to Pan in terror and his granddaughter shrugged, mouthing 'comfort her' in response. Goku awkwardly patted the much younger girl's shoulder, allowing her to soak his red training uniform.

Usagi eventually calmed down, the occasional hiccup shaking her frame. She felt so much lighter, a year and a half's worth of pressure and sorrow and fear breaking free. "I'm sorry. Thanks, Goku-san."

Goku's eyes softened as he looked down at Usagi. She was so much like Gohan. "No problem. Why don't you come with me? Chichi would _love_ to see another girl at dinner."

"Didn't you just eat dinner?" Usagi asked curiously. Goku paused and then burst out laughing. Pan giggled.

"Grandma's rule is that everyone eats together at dinner, even if we ate somewhere else. But Gramps is _always _hungry. Let's go!" Pan helped Usagi clear the table off and allowed the older girl to quickly change into cleaner clothes –just a pair of black leggings and a mid-thigh length dress that she saved for days she wanted to look pretty. It wouldn't hurt to socialize for a little bit –right? After all, both Goku and Pan had decided she was trustworthy. And she was curious about their family. They seemed close knit.

Outside, Goku and Pan both floated immediately, waiting for her to follow. A blush rouged her cheeks. "I can't fly." Both of their eyes widened as they turned to look at her. Clearly, she was a warrior, but they didn't know of any warriors that couldn't fly. Pan smiled quickly and held out her hand. Usagi accepted it without hesitation to show her trust and Pan's gentle energy quickly enveloped her. She felt herself float and giggled at the freeing sensation. Without warning, they plunged through the sky, rising and rushing past wisps of fog that made up the clouds. Dewy perspiration blanketed Usagi, only to be evaporated as they descended to Chikyuu at breakneck speeds. When they landed, they were in front of a medium-sized cozy home made up of logs. It was cute, with a chimney that chugged out smoke and in the middle of a large, free yard completely surrounded by forest.

Goku entered the house without hesitation. "Chi –" He abruptly ducked as a shoe went sailing past his head. Usagi wasn't as quick and it nailed her right on the forehead, causing her to squeal and topple backwards.

"SON GOKU I SWEAR THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! WHEN I TOLD YOU TO SPEND TIME WITH PAN I DIDN'T MEAN TO BEAT HER UP! AND YOU ARE LATE TO DINNER! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, KEEPING EVERYONE WAITING LIKE THAT?" God-awful screeching burst out the front door, assaulting Usagi's ears. She winced, wondering if she sounded like this when she bitched and whined to her senshi. She made a mental note never to act this way again. Pan peered down at her and whispered an apology.

"Chichi! You hit our guest on the head!"

"What? What guest? Stop bringing home strays, Goku!" A head popped out from behind the door as a middle-aged woman looked around. Finally, her eyes settled on Usagi's form and softened immediately. "Sorry there, dear. Didn't mean to hit you. Are you alright?" The motherly woman picked Usagi up swiftly and brushed the dirt and grass off of her clothes. She checked Usagi's face for any outstanding injuries. Goku quickly made his escape, waving a goodbye behind Chichi's back. "That Goku! I told him to give me a warning last time. But he's brought back a pretty young thing, hasn't he?" She smiled good-naturedly at Usagi, who turned bright red at the compliment.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Usagi," Usagi bowed her head politely. Chichi beamed at her.

"You can call me Chichi. Come in, come in!" Chichi ushered her in and she observed the older woman. Her dark hair was cropped short but even in her age, she radiated strength and authority and warmth. The inside of the house was well-sized, enough for a family of four or five to live comfortably in. Pan followed them, pausing in the kitchen to grab a steaming cookie off of a cooling rack. Chichi led them outside to the back, where two long picnic tables were set up, completely loaded with food. Usagi's eyes widened at the sheer amount of food –they could feed an army three times over with that much. Chichi noticed her look and laughed. "Oh, trust me, it's barely enough food. My boys have an appetite like no other." Her voice was tinted with pride.

"I'd imagine. Pan and Goku-san had dinner at my place –hope you don't mind," Usagi added hastily.

"How'd you manage to feed them?" Chichi giggled. "I bet you regretted it pretty quickly."

A wistful smile tugged her lips upwards. "Not at all. I missed having company. I had plenty of food."

Chichi nodded, not exactly sure of her story. Goku had a habit of bringing back whatever poor soul he found during the day –more often than not, it ended up being a human frightened out of their minds, shaking in fear of the much larger man. Chichi clucked her tongue and ushered Pan and Usagi to a bench. They were the only ones at the table. Pan looked at her with a smile.

"That's Grandma," she whispered loudly as Chichi left. "She can be scary but she's nice."

"I can tell."

"I think everyone else is training right now. But they'll be here soon." Pan turned to pick a hot dinner roll off of a steaming basket and bit into it. "They're all pretty nice. You don't need to worry."

Usagi relaxed a little at her words. Nervousness twisted her stomach and set her heart beating. "Thanks for letting me come with you. I appreciate it. I really do."

"Come on," Pan playfully punched her arm. "It's no big deal! The boys are sooo annoying so it's awesome to have another girl to hang out with."

Her heart flooded with warmth at the statement. She hadn't realized how lonely she had truly been –communication with the other senshi was completely cut off, save for the rare text that her computer managed to capture, but those were sparse and far between. She abruptly hugged Pan. "I'm so happy I met you, Pan." Pan laughed and returned the hug.

"So sappy!"

"Hey, I was just showing my appreciation!" Usagi pouted, settling into the familiar routine of teasing and being teased.

"Didn't realize that being molested equaled appreciation."

"What! I'll show you molestation." Usagi got a twinkle in her eye that caused Pan to gulp and inch away. Without warning, her hands attacked the girl's sides, and Pan screamed with laughter, but just as quickly, the tables were turned. It was Usagi's turn to be tickled mercilessly and she screamed, unable to breathe, her ribs cramping with the effort to gasp for breath. "Ok! T-truce!" She panted heavily as Pan backed off; the younger girl was grinning with triumph.

"You're pretty ticklish."

"You're pretty ugly, Pan." A new voice responded to Pan and a young man slid into the seat across from them. He was _really_ cute, with dark eyes and short black hair and a muscular physique. Usagi felt immediately attracted to his easy grin and had to fight back a blush when his curious eyes landed on her. "Another of Dad's little projects?"

"No," Pan rolled her eyes. "This is Usagi. Usagi, this is my uncle."

"Hey, Usagi. I'm Goten." Goten's grin grew wider. "At least he picked a babe this time." Pink tinged her cheeks and she smiled shyly.

"You have a girlfriend!" Pan glared at him, fully aware of his flirtatious ways. Usagi couldn't help but giggle. They were more like siblings than uncle and niece.

"Where's Gohan and Videl?" Chichi asked as she came around. She carried two pitchers of lemonade to add to the ten at the table. She let out a breath of relief and wiped the sweat off of her brow.

"Here, mom," Another male, looking almost identical to Goten, appeared, arms around a petite woman with dark hair.

"Mom! Dad!" Pan squealed and leapt at her parents. They hugged her back, and spotting Usagi, raised their eyebrows in unison.

"How was your play date with your Gramps?" The male asked.

"It was great! I met someone awesome today. This is Usagi; she's my new friend." Pan proudly showed off the blonde to her parents and they both assessed her.

Chichi laughed a little. "This is my son Gohan, dear, and his wife Videl."

"A pleasure," Usagi said diplomatically as she bowed her head. They both nodded at her and she could tell that Gohan didn't like her very much from the start. Undoubtedly he was a bit more aware of the nature of her aura. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Maybe it was a bad idea coming here. Getting caught up in her sudden companionship was stupid of her –she had one goal and one goal only: to find a way back home and get back as peacefully as possible. Faintly, she wondered why Setsuna hadn't located her yet, but shoved that thought from her head immediately; knowing the direction her thinking would take next.

"Everyone's here?" Goku came in next, plopping down next to Gohan. He sent his son a happy grin and ruffled his hair. "Hey, kid. How's everything going?"

"Everything's fine, Dad. Videl and I went house shopping today," Gohan said proudly. He and Videl exchanged a look of contentment. "We found a pretty good deal right outside Satan City."

"So we'll be seeing you more often!" Goku exclaimed gleefully. "You've met Usagi?" He turned with soft eyes to Usagi.

Gohan nodded curtly, causing Usagi to shrink against his glare. Shame flooded through her being and she stared down at the empty plate in front of her, unable meet eyes with the rest of the family. It felt a lot like overstaying her welcome or coming in uninvited –awkward and tense. She cleared her throat as Chichi bustled about, oblivious to the going-ons of the table.

"Usagi really helped me today," Pan spoke up quietly, her eyes focused on her father's expression. "She more or less saved my life."

Goku nodded in agreement. "You should've seen her! She stood up to me even though she was scared out of her pants. It was pretty funny, this tiny little girl standing between me and Pan." Pan giggled at the image it produced in her mind, and Gohan eased the tension somewhat. Chichi returned with the final basket of dinner rolls and took her place across from Goku. "Thanks for dinner, Chichi!"

"Oh please, Goku, I do this every night." But the tone of her voice was warm and Usagi could feel how deep her love for her husband and her children ran. "Come on Usagi, let's eat."

Usagi smiled at the motherly woman and chose a dinner roll and small cut of meat; she was still full from her previous dinner but didn't want to seem rude. The gentle lull of small talk overtook the table and she felt at peace. She loved to eat, but she loved eating with people the most. It was always during meal-time that she felt the loneliest, without her senshi admonishing her for her eating habits, without Luna yelling at her for her clumsiness, without Mamoru asking about how her day went. And even if Gohan didn't like her and Videl was suspicious, she found that she didn't really care. Goku and Pan both trusted her and that was enough. For now, at least.

* * *

><p>So Usagi meets the Son family. Next up: the Briefs! I wonder how that'll go?<p>

As always, reviews, concrits, and flames are welcome :) Please do leave a few words telling me what you think of this -it really helps me figure out places for improvement and where my writing is the weakest!


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